BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - NOVEMBER 11: William Nylander #88 of the Toronto Maple Leafs takes a shot against the Boston Bruins during the second period at TD Garden on November 11, 2025 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
Toronto Maple Leafs 2026 first overall pick, Gavin McKenna had strong expectations heading into the 2026-27 season. Through the rookies’ first three games he has yet to produce a point and is statistically the worst forward on the team.
The Maple Leafs find themselves with a 1-2-0 record to begin the regular season and have found a hard time finding the back of the net, something they have not had an issue with in the past. Both Auston Matthews and Kirill Marchenko scored their first goal of the season during the Maple Leafs’ 3-2 loss to the Ottawa Senators on Saturday night.
Maple Leafs Third Line Has Built Chemistry
Easton Cowan and the trio, including Nick Paul and Colton Sissons, have received a lot of praise for there play thus far; however, the same cannot be said about the second line of William Nylander, John Tavares, and Gavin McKenna. While they have looked dangerous at times, they have consistently been outworked and outchanced by their opponents. Through three games, Nylander has two goals from opening night, Tavares has two primary assists, while McKenna has yet to be found on the scoresheet.
Many have expected Cowan to move up to the Maple Leafs’ top-six, but with how his line has looked it has been a difficult decision for head coach Jim Hiller. Demoting McKenna during the early portion of the season can cause problems the Maple Leafs can’t afford to have happen, if you are getting production from the third line, who has generated chemistry and it doesn’t seem to translate that can cause further issues in the lineup.
William Nylander Backs Gavin McKenna
William Nylander in a recent interview backed the 18-year-old mentioning it is too early in the season for this type of discussion and expresses that it will begin to come in waves.
“I mean, there’s no pressure to produce,” Nylander said while speaking to the media following Monday’s practice. “He’s going to be a great player. It’s going to happen, and when it does, it’s going to come in waves. A lot of waves.”
The Maple Leafs’ second line has a plus/minus of -7 thus far; Tavares understands that their line will have to play stronger in all three zones to begin generating offence.
“We just have to continue to improve the process in all three zones. We have to execute, spend less time in our own zone and do a good job defending. We need pace and execution through the neutral zone and get in on the forecheck and earn pucks back,” Tavares said. “Once we do get pucks back, we need to execute and support the puck. There are certain areas we want to continue to be better in, but I think we’re feeling better game to game.”
Tavares also spoke on living with McKenna and comments on the type of character he is.
“You can tell he’s really well raised, tremendous values, very humble, very respectful and it’s been a lot of fun,” Tavares said. “Whether it’s just getting to know each other or talking about the game, it’s been a lot of fun for me too.”
The Maple Leafs are back in action on Tuesday against the Nashville Predators as they close out their first home stand of the season.
Nicholas Giannone Nicholas Giannone is a sports media and operations professional focused on hockey and baseball coverage, delivering news, analysis, and behind-the-scenes insight. Originally from Toronto, he pairs his Sports Management background at Albion College with hands-on experience in game day operations, broadcasting, and content creation. With aspirations of working in NHL management, Nicholas ultimately aims to become the General Manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs. More about Nicholas Giannone
0 Comments
Maple Leafs Star Makes Honest Comments About Gavin McKenna
Please sign in to comment.
0 Comments
Follow this thread
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Toronto Maple Leafs 2026 first overall pick, Gavin McKenna had strong expectations heading into the 2026-27 season. Through the rookies’ first three games he has yet to produce a point and is statistically the worst forward on the team.The Maple Leafs find themselves with a 1-2-0 record to begin the regular season and have found […]
Maple Leafs Star Makes Honest Comments About Gavin McKenna